The Ultimate Piranhas Eating Cows Quiz

Piranhas have the image of vicious man-eating monsters. In reality, they prefer other fish over mammals and are mostly eight inches long. Take this quiz to learn about the circumstances when a school of piranha would eat a cow.

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Question 1 of 20

What ferocious fish did Theodore Roosevelt take an interest in?

piranha

Theodore Roosevelt took a special interest in piranha fish. He wrote about piranha in his book, "Through the Brazilian Wilderness."

shark

whale

Question 2 of 20

In the 1978 movie "Piranha", why are the piranhas released into a resort's river?

on purpose

by accident

The piranhas are released into the river by accident.

neither answer

Question 3 of 20

How big is a piranha?

maximum size is two feet

most are about eight inches

both answers

The maximum size of a piranha may be about two feet (60 cm), but most are about eight inches (20 cm) long.

Question 4 of 20

What fish is the most vicious of the piranha species?

Serrasalmus rhombeus

Pigocentrus naterreri

The Pigocentrus naterreri is the most vicious of the species.

Pristobrycon striolatus

Question 5 of 20

How would you describe the teeth of a piranha?

razors

Piranha have teeth like razors.

brushes

sandpaper

Question 6 of 20

The piranha jaw is designed for:

chomping

The piranha jaw is designed for chomping.

biting

nibbling

Question 7 of 20

How are a piranha's teeth spaced?

overlapping pattern

interlocking pattern

The teeth are spaced in an interlocking pattern, the better to chomp with.

tight vertical pattern

Question 8 of 20

Piranha do not ______ their prey.

chew

The piranha do not chew their prey, they chomp it.

chomp

devour

Question 9 of 20

What happens after piranha chomp down on a big bite of flesh?

no chewing

flesh goes to stomach

both answers

Piranha do not chew, so the big bite goes straight to its stomach.

Question 10 of 20

What causes the boiling-water effect in piranha infested water, often shown in movies featuring piranhas?

change positions very fast

Piranhas let everyone in the school get a big bite, so when they change positions, very fast, the water bubbles with their movement.

movement of the prey

neither answer

Question 11 of 20

Piranhas are the prey of what animals?

herons

caimans

both answers

Piranhas are the prey of herons and caimans.

Question 12 of 20

What is the mainstay of piranhas' diet?

dead animals

Mainly piranhas are scavengers, so they eat dead animals.

live animals

fruit

Question 13 of 20

Why can't you buy a piranha?

no availability

endangered species

illegal to import

Piranha are illegal to import, so don't plan on keeping one in your home aquarium.

Question 14 of 20

What animal do piranhas primarily eat?

fish

Piranhas eat fish, and occasionally will eat another piranha.

fruit

mammals

Question 15 of 20

Where do piranhas prefer to breed?

slowest-moving water

Piranhas prefer to breed in slow-moving water. An increase in dam building in South America has increased slow-moving waters and is thought to account for an increase in the piranha population.

fast-moving water

rapids

Question 16 of 20

Why may piranhas be found in unlikely places?

pet piranhas have been dumped

Anywhere but South America would be an unlikely place to find piranhas. One explanation is that "pet" piranhas have been dumped into waterways, after the owners discovered just how difficult they were to keep.

purposeful destruction of waterways

neither answer

Question 17 of 20

What may happen when piranhas are dumped in waterways outside of their natural habitat?

threaten the ecological balance

The addition of piranhas to these waterways may threaten the ecological balance.

increase the fish population

increase tourism

Question 18 of 20

What is the size of a typical school of piranha?

10

20

About 20 piranha make up a typically sized school, but it takes hundreds to eat a cow.

30

Question 19 of 20

When Roosevelt visited the Brazilian Amazon, what did he see that left him feeling disturbed?

strip a human

strip a cow

Roosevelt witnessed a school of piranhas strip a cow to the bone in a very short time, perhaps around one minute. It is thought that the piranhas he saw had been intentionally starved beforehand.